Chinese monitoring stations now sending data

As of 1
January, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has started
receiving data from key International Monitoring System
(IMS) stations hosted by China.

CTBTO Executive Secretary
Lassina Zerbo welcomed the step: “The Chinese stations’
data significantly enhances our system’s global coverage.
And it is more than that: China has demonstrated its
dedication to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and
its verification regime. I encourage other countries with
unresolved issues regarding our stations to follow China’s
leadership.”

The development follows a visit by Zerbo to China in August 2013,
days after having taken office, as well as technical training for Chinese station
managers in September 2013.

“This is an important step
towards certification, the formal acceptance of these
stations in our system,” explained Randy Bell, Director of
the International Data Centre. “In addition to enhancing
the detection of nuclear explosions, the flow of data should
also benefit China’s capabilities in the field of disaster
mitigation and scientific
research.”

BackgroundThe CTBTO is
building a verification system to detect any
nuclear explosion. The IMS will consist of 337 monitoring
facilities when complete; over 85% have already been
established and are sending data to CTBTO headquarters in
Vienna. The system quickly, reliably and precisely detected
all three nuclear tests announced by the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Moreover, its noble gas component was the only system
worldwide to detect radioactivity in connection with the February 2013 DPRK announced nuclear
test. CTBTO data is made available to all Member States
in near-real time and has spin-offs for disaster warning and
science.

China hosts 11 IMS stations: 6 seismic
stations, 3 radionuclide stations (of which 2 are noble
gas-capable) and 2 infrasound stations. With the
installation of the infrasound station at Kunming in
Southern China, expected for this year, all but a second
infrasound station at Beijing will be complete. Until last
year, none of these stations had been connected to the
CTBTO’s International Data Centre in
Vienna.

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